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Padres host DBacks and Marlins for third homestand

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SAN DIEGO - The Padres return home Friday for the third homestand of the 2013 season, featuring a weekend series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, followed by a three-game matchup against the Florida Marlins. Highlights of the homestand include Padres Beerfest and Military Spouse Appreciation Day.

Home action begins tonight, with a 7:10 p.m. start against the Diamondbacks. The game will be preceded by the return of Padres Beerfest. The annual tasting event will feature more than 50 offerings from more than two dozen breweries. Regular-sized beers priced at $5 will be available for purchase with Friar Funds exclusively. Fans will have the opportunity to buy Friar Funds at multiple locations. First pour is at 5:00 p.m.; last pour is at approximately 7:00 p.m. Live entertainment will be provided by the local beach/rock/reggae band Safety Orange, which was started in San Diego by surf buddies and named after a surfboard.

Tonight also marks the Padres' 12th Annual Teacher Appreciation Night, presented by Ashford University. The Padres and the San Diego County Office of Education are proud to honor all of our local teachers. Forty-five of San Diego County's newly named District Teachers of the Year and the five reigning 2012 San Diego County Teachers of the Year will be recognized on the field prior to the game.

The first 25,000 fans in attendance on Saturday will receive a Padres beach towel, presented by COX.

Sunday's series finale against the Marlins marks Military Spouse Appreciation Day. In recognition of our military families, pregame ceremonies will honor military spouses, who also serve our nation. Among the organizations and individuals highlighted on Sunday will be Blue Star Families, a non-profit whose mission is to support, empower and connect military families. Family Readiness Group representatives from the USS Dewey also will be recognized Sunday. The Ceremonial First Pitch will be thrown by San Diego resident Kendra Mulherin, wife of Sgt. Robert David Mulherin, Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361, and a group of nine military spouses will participate in Military Take the Field.

Navy Spouse Caroline Dale will perform God Bless America prior to the seventh-inning stretch. Dale's husband, FCC Joseph Dale has served in the US Navy for more than 13 years and is currently deployed.

Sunday is also Little League Day presented by Majestic. Beginning at 11:35 a.m., approximately 6,000 local Little League players and coaches will participate in a pregame parade around the warning track. Many of the participating leagues are part of the Padres' Youth Baseball Initiative, which in 2013 outfitted nearly 15,000 local Little Leaguers in authentic custom-made Majestic jerseys and corresponding caps.

Fans attending Sunday's game are encouraged to bring their used baseball equipment, especially balls and gloves, to donate to Kids Gear for Baseball's annual collection drive. Kids Gear for Baseball, a local non-profit organization run by a group of students from area high schools, collects equipment and then donates it directly to schools, organizations, parks and recreation centers. Kids Gear for Baseball will receive a $5,000 equipment grant from the Baseball Tomorrow Fund. The check will be presented during Sunday's pregame ceremony.

Prior to all Sunday home games, fans with tickets are invited to enjoy Breakfast at the Park. Special breakfast menu items will be offered for purchase at Park at the Park. In addition to seating at the Park at the Park, tables may be set up on the warning track, allowing fans to dine on the Petco Park field. Field seating will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis, barring batting practice. Select gates will open to Season Ticket Holders with reservations at 10:00 a.m. Gates will open to the general public at 10:30 a.m.

From 11:30 a.m. to noon, two Padres players will sign autographs at the Park at the Park for Jr. Padres Sunday Signings. A Jr. Padres membership is required to participate in the signing event. Membership is free, and kids can sign up online or in-person on the day of the event.

Prior to Monday's 7:10 p.m. series opener against the Marlins, the Padres will honor the Padres Foundation's featured homestand charity partners, San Diego Fire Rescue Foundation and San Diego Police Officers Association. As part of the pregame ceremony, the Padres will highlight the organizations' commitment to supporting our community's first responders and their families and honor the volunteers who help to further the charities' missions.

On Tuesday, more than 200 local students will come together to perform the National Anthem for Choir Night.

The homestand wraps up Wednesday, with Science Field Trip Day at Petco Park. In partnership with the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, approximately 2,500 students and teachers will watch a pregame "Fire & Ice" themed science exhibition at Park at the Park, followed by a Q&A session with Padres pitcher Luke Gregerson.

Tickets for all home games can be purchased at the Petco Park box office, online at www.padres.com, by phone at 619.795.5555, at the Padres Store in Tijuana, and new this year, at all Ticketmaster locations.